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By Tim RossBloomberg News

Britain will have to pay a bill of about $62 billion when it leaves the European Union, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned as Britain prepares to trigger the start of Brexit negotiations.

While there is no desire to punish Britain for leaving the bloc, the EU must deter other countries from following, the head of the EU's executive arm told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Friday. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government knows they'll have to pay what they owe, he said.

"We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid," he said. Asked if the bill will be $62 billion or about 50 billion pounds which is about 58 billion euros, Juncker replied: "It's around that."

May plans to launch Britain on a two-year process of negotiations to quit the EU on March 29, by triggering Article 50 of the bloc's Lisbon Treaty. The size of Britain's exit bill will be among the first and most contentious topics for discussion, with British ministers indicating they do not believe Britain is liable for such a large sum.

Juncker's statement is the clearest indication from the commission of the size of the bill, and is in line with an estimate cited by Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern last month. So far, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has argued that the terms of the divorce, including the size of the bill, must be settled first, before any negotiations over the new trading relationship between Britain and the EU can begin.

Britain wants talks on the exit and a new free-trade deal to run simultaneously and its argument received a boost on Friday when the Italian government said the two sets of talks could "overlap" to some extent.

"We will be at the end of the exit negotiation and at the same time we can start the new deals on trade, and we hope also for example on security," Italian junior minister for European Affairs Sandro Gozi said in a Bloomberg TV interview.

The EU's remaining 27 member states are preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bloc's founding Treaty of Rome, without Britain, on Saturday. Asked if May's absence from the gathering would be an elephant in the room, Juncker responded: "She is not an elephant," adding that he likes her "as a person."

Juncker insisted the EU is not "in a hostile mood" on Brexit because it wants "a friendly relationship" with Britain. "But I don't want others to take the same avenue because let's suppose for one second that others would leave two, three, four, five that would be the end."

The clash between Britain and the EU over the size of Britain's exit bill covering liabilities such as pensions for EU officials, infrastructure projects, and the bail-out of Ireland is shaping up to be one of the first major obstacles in the talks.

The British government has floated the idea that Britain could leave the bloc without paying anything at all and Liam Fox, one of May's most senior ministers, described the notion of a 60 billion-euro exit charge as "absurd." Her aides have said any payment will have to be negotiated.

An early deal to guarantee the rights of Europeans living in Britain, and British nationals in the EU, is also a key priority for Juncker. "This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity," he said.

May has also promised to work for an agreement as soon as possible to end the uncertainty of millions of EU nationals living in the Britain who fear they will be forced to leave the country after Brexit.

The EU 27 member states will find ways to separate with Britain in a peaceful, friendly and mutually beneficial manner, Dalia Grybauskaite, the Lithuanian President said before leaving for the Rome celebrations. "True, it is hard to talk when we lose one member state but Britain will remain our partner, the country will never become our foe," she said in an interview to LRT, the Public TV channel, broadcast on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank downplayed talk of risks to financial stability from Brexit but raised concerns about the costs to Britain of withdrawing from the bloc. "We have learned from the crisis how to handle dangerous situations," ECB Executive Board member Peter Praet said in interview with VDI Nachrichten. "What concerns me are the massive costs that the withdrawal will cause for the EU27 and, above all, for the U.K.," Praet said.

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Britain could face $62B penalty for leaving European Union - The Providence Journal

Ordinary voters who had gathered to listen to two top European figures speak in Rome gave a less than confidence-inspiring verdict when unexpectedly quizzed on their own opinions.

The toe-curling moment was captured on camera at a presentation by Malta prime minister Joseph Muscat and top eurocrat Federica Mogherini to kick-start this weekends crucial summit in the Italian capital.

It began with the pair speaking openly about the challenges facing Europe, including Brexit, but also strongly insisting that the bloc had the capability to emerged from a dark period stronger.

Moderator Antonio Di Bella, director of the Italian TV network Rai News, then decided to get the crowd involved by asking them what they thought the future of the EU holds.

He said: There is a break the ice question. Could you please raise your hands and tell us whether you feel that your voice in Europe is heard sufficiently? Who feels that your voice is being heard in Europe?

The self-avowed EU supporter could not contain his surprise - apparently at the lack of reaction from the public - as he glanced around the room, pulling a disbelieving face.

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Giving a nervous laugh, he pressed on: Some feel that it is being heard, your voice. Then you also have, do you think that the EU will offer a solution to the major questions that will influence the future of our continent?

At this point the camera panned out onto the crowd indicating, embarrassingly, that more people may have raised their hands to answer no rather than yes.

And only a smattering of people got involved at all, with most sitting in stony silence and refusing to participate in the public litmus test of support for the project.

Mr Di Bella then swiftly moved on, after chuckling: I see that there are more or less abstentions, so we can maybe bring them over to our own side and convince them.

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During the debate the trio discussed how the European Union can progress and win back citizens trust after Brexit despite facing a multitude of crises from migration to the eurozone.

Mr Muscat said that Britain and the EU would still remain incredibly close even after the UK leaves the bloc, saying the reaction to the terror attack in London shows how the continent is intertwined.

He said: I feel that what happened in London and the global reaction especially the European reaction proves that there cant be Brexit in terms of solidarity.

Whatever may happen between countries and institutions in the forthcoming months there is an insoluble bond and unity which links European citizens.

This is a clear proof of the fact that Europe has a dimension which is prouder than the one represented by politicians.

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European Union - moment crowd at EU summit in Rome is asked ... - Express.co.uk

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:54 A.M.) The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has called the European Union (EU) sons of bitches after calling for the hard line leader to rethink his war on drugs.

During a speech to Chinese businessmen, he highlighted that he did not need the EU to talk about rehabilitation programs which he claimed did not stop drug addicts from committing crimes.

So were getting a relief now from our hardships because a lot of (Chinese) money is coming in. The EU, they communicated to us, and they want a health-based solution for the drugs. These sons of bitches, he said.

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They want us to build clinics, then instead of arresting, putting them in prisons, just like in other countries, you go there and if you want shabu, they will inject you and give you shabu and you go out, he said, referring to the methamphetamine used in the Philippines.

Our people will just go there and consume every chemical until kingdom come, until they are crazy who will answer for these?

His angry response came as the EU criticized the many extrajudicial killings occurnig in the Philippines.

The President then went onto praise China for its no-strings-attached loans and aid.

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Filipino President: The European Union are 'sons of bitches' - AMN Al-Masdar News (registration)

The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, has today renewed its strong support for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, under its recently extended mandate, for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

This new funding of 3 million, under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, will provide timely and focused assistance to the OSCE, in the area of satellite imagery. "The use of satellite imagery allows for more in-depth monitoring of the situation in areas where regrettably monitors still do not have access to, and also for a more efficient deployment of monitors in general", said High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini. "This fresh support again underlines the European Union's strong commitment to the full respect of the Minsk agreements, which offer the best chance for moving towards a peaceful, sustainable solution to the conflict in Ukraine based on respect for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our determination to accompany and support the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission." Satellite imagery remains an essential planning and analytical tool, especially because it allows the Special Monitoring Mission to map wide areas which are inaccessible to its monitors and to report on infrastructure damage as well as on the presence and movement of people and equipment. As has been the case for previous support from the EU's Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), this funding will continue to be channelled via the European Union Satellite Centre which will procure the necessary imagery and provide analysis products to the OSCE, at the request of the latter. The activities will directly complement other, ongoing IcSP-financed actions to fund the operational costs of the monitors, as well as to enhance technological surveillance capabilities, including through the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, night vision cameras, sensors and other monitoring means. The European Union has been supporting the SMM from the beginning of the Mission's operations and continues to play an active part in ensuring that it is able to execute its tasks in the best possible way, including through the new funding announced today. The Special Monitoring Mission has played, and continues to play, an essential role in observing and reporting in an impartial and objective way on the situation in eastern Ukraine.

Background information

Since its inception in April 2014, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has received 30 million support from the EU's Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, allowing the SMM to expand and to develop its technical monitoring capabilities. The OSCE SMM mandate has recently been extended until March 2018.

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European Union provides further satellite imagery support to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine - Reliefweb

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

European Union to Celebrate Its 60th Birthday Under a Cloud Wall Street Journal (subscription) For European Union leaders, Saturday's gathering in Rome to mark the 60th anniversary of the bloc's founding treaty was to be an unvarnished celebration of a successful experiment to rebuild a continent scarred by two world wars. But Brexit, economic ...

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European Union to Celebrate Its 60th Birthday Under a Cloud - Wall Street Journal (subscription)